150 Students Solve Real World Problems at Alexandria Hackathon

Bishop Ireton Hosted Second Annual Hackathon, Nov 3-4

Alexandria, VA – Bishop Ireton High School hosted its second annual Hackathon over the weekend from Saturday, November 3 through Sunday, November 4. The student-run event gave middle and high schoolers the opportunity to attend workshops, learn how to code and ultimately create their own unique projects.

“This event has allowed me to give back to the community that has fostered my growth and development over my four years of high school,” said Patrick Riley ‘19, Director of this year’s Hackathon. “Computer Science gave me the opportunity to explore my interests and creativity in ways I could not before, and I am grateful to have been able to afford that opportunity to others.”

“I was most surprised by the number of inexperienced programmers who not only attended the event, but stayed the entire time and submitted projects,” said Computer Science Teacher Terri Kelly, who orchestrated the event. “The students flourished in the open-ended environment of choosing their own project and the language they would create it in.”

154 students from 43 different schools had the opportunity to go to workshops on Java, Python, Android Studio, Programming, and more. Gautom Das and Alex Kreidler took home the grand prize, a paid internship with Decipher Technology Studios, with their creation of a custom app that allowed users to create and solve various problems. Other notable projects included a rover that analyzed oil contamination in beach sand (Winner of Best Beginner Hack), a program that utilized Amazon Alexa to reduce and monitor water consumption (Winner of Best Solution to a Real World Problem), and an app that converted brain waves into audible speech (Winner of Best Use of Hardware). A full list of student projects can be found by going to https://hackbi.devpost.com/.

(Photos by Gaby Garcia ’20)

About BishopIreton: Bishop Ireton High School, a Catholic preparatory high school located in historic Alexandria, Virginia, began its proud heritage of academic excellence in 1964. As a Salesian community of learning, Bishop Ireton is dedicated to the educational and spiritual formation of young men and women, challenging them to Advance Always in scholarship, service, and in the love of God and one another. The school is accredited by the Virginia Catholic Education Association, the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, and AdvancED.

Mary Wadland is the Publisher and Editor in Chief of The Zebra Press, founded by her in 2010. Originally from Delray Beach, Florida, Mary is a Phi Beta Kappa graduate of Hollins College in Roanoke, VA and has lived and worked in the Alexandria publishing community since 1987.

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